BY BECKIE STRUM 
 |    |  MANSION GLOBAL
Jimmy Stewart’s longtime address in Los Angeles is up for sale, and the megamansion that stands there today is certainly built for "a wonderful life."
The property where the Hollywood legend lived for nearly 50 years has come on the market asking $47.9 million. A businessman who bought the home from Stewart’s estate took a wrecking ball to the house shortly after the actor's death in 1997 at the age of 89, and built in its place a lavish Italian-style villa spanning more than 15,000 square feet.
The grand house has changed hands a few times since then, and hit the market on Monday afternoon with Christopher Dyson of The Agency.
It sits on North Roxbury Drive, a covetable street in Beverly Hills, characterized by towering mature trees and a collection of Old Hollywood residents. They included the late singer and actress Rosemary Clooney, whose home once belonged to George Gershwin. Lucille Ball reportedly lived in a Colonial home down the street.

Jimmy Stewart screening a movie at home on North Roxbury Drive with his family circa 1960
Jimmy Stewart screening a movie at home on North Roxbury Drive with his family circa 1960Gene Lester / Getty Images
Stewart’s former address is one of the largest properties in the area, as it spans two lots—one of which the Academy Award winner reportedly purchased decades ago in order to expand his beloved garden.
"The park-like grounds without question are what make this home special," Mr. Dyson said.
"Space is luxury, especially to have 1.3 acres in the Flats," he added, referring to the posh neighborhood known as Beverly Hills Flats.
These days, the grounds encompass formal, manicured gardens, a pool, a two-bedroom guesthouse and sprawling grounds with mature trees that date back to Stewart’s time.
The villa, built in 2000 by the design of architect Kevin Clark, last traded hands for $36 million in 2015. The current owner of the home is an entity called Zacara LLC, according to property records.
It opens into an opulent white marble foyer that flows into the living spaces, including a wood-paneled library with a fireplace and elegant coffered ceilings. An enormous kitchen features double ovens, a grand center island and an adjacent sunroom for informal dining.
The house has eight oversized bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, according to the listing.
Stewart, who starred in "Harvey" in 1950 and the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock classic "Vertigo," and his wife, actress and model Gloria Hatrick McLean, reportedly moved into an ivy-covered, Tudor-style home on North Roxbury Drive in 1949, and lived there until his death.
Over the years, the street has transformed as new owners replaced the more modest homes built in the early- to mid-20th century with grand-scale mansions like the one at Stewart’s old address—which includes a home theater, sauna, 1,000-bottle wine cellar, tasting room and gym.